
Words in Colour is an approach to literacy invented by Caleb Gattegno. Words in Colour first appeared in 1962, published simultaneously in the UK and US. Later versions were published in French (French: Lecture en Couleurs) and Spanish (Spanish: Letras en Color).
Words in Colour is a synthetic phonics system that uses colour to indicate the phonetic properties of letters. The system has been adapted for the use of deaf children, and for dyslexic children. Words in Colour was one of a number of colour assisted schemes, being followed by Colour Story Reading, Colour Phonics System and English Colour Code.
Caleb Gattegno created a phonic chart named Fidel™. Its purpose is to teach children how to correlate different sounds with letters.
| Letters and Groups | IPA | Colour |
|---|---|---|
| t, tt, te, ed, d, tte, pt, bt, ct, cht, th, phth, 't | /t/ | Fuchsia; #b43a84 |
| w, wh, u, o | /w/ | Aqua; #77c3b2 |
| m, mm, me, mb, lm, gm, mn, 'm | /m/ | Orange; #dd492b |
| a, e, u, o, i, ou, io, oi, iou, oa, eou, eo, ia, ai, ie, ei, au, iu, ea, eau, ah, ough, he, y | /ə/ | Yellow; #fff105 |
| s, ss, se, 's, c, ce, sc, st, sw, ps, sce, sse, sch, sth, tz | /s/ | Lime Green; #85be51 |
| o, oe, ow, owe, oa, ou, ew, oh, ough, eau, oo, au, eo, ot | /oʊ/ | Brown - Aqua; #8d4923 to #77c3b2 |
| p, pp, pe, ph, bp | /p/ | Chestnut; #922b25 |
| s, ss, se, 's, z, zz, ze, x, si, thes, sth | /z/ | Lilac; #a54e8f |
| f, ff, fe, ph, gh, lf, ft, ffe, pph | /f/ | Mauve; #a993ba |
| r, rr, re, wr, rh, rps, rp, rt, rrh, rre, lo, 're | /ɹ/ | Light Orange; #e77a2d |
| h, wh, j | /h/ | Pale Blue; #cfe5d9 |
| l, ll, le, lle, 'll | /l/ | Bright Blue; #0078aa |
| e, ee, ea, y, ie, ei, i, eo, ey, ay, oe, ae, is | /i/ | Red; #d92329 |
| v, f, ve, lve, ph, 've | /v/ | Khaki; #9f8b18 |
| th, the, h, t, phth | /θ/ | Pale Lime; #d9e596 |
| th, the | /ð/ | Sod Pink; #d26785 |
| g, gg, gu, gh, gue, ckgu | /ɡ/ | Gray; #90918e |
| u, o, a, ou, oo, oe | /ʌ/ | Pale Yellow; #fffac9 |
| d, dd, de, ed, ld, 'd, t, tt | /d/ | Green; #1e9a44 |
| e, ea, a, u, ai, ay, ie, eo, ei, ae | /ɛ/ | Ice Blue; #69a0bd |
| b, bb, be, bu, pb | /b/ | Bottle Green; #19726a |
| a, au, ai, i | /æ/ | Buff; #d88d86 |
| i, y, o, ey, a, ay, u, ui, e, ee, ia, ai, ie, ei, ea, hi, ae, hea, is, ois | /ɪ/ | Dark Pink; #de4681 |
| s, z, ge, t | /ʒ/ | French Blue; #006290 |
| n, nn, ne, kn, gn, pn, mn, gne, in, on, dne, nd, ln | /n/ | Lavender; #736da4 |
| o, a, ho, oh, ow, eau | /ɒ/ | White; #ffffff |
| y, i, j, u | /j/ | Pink; #ea90a5 |
| u, e, o, i, ea, ou, y | /ɜ/ | Blush; #e56c7d |
| o, a, au, aw, awe, ough, oa, augh, oo, ou, hau, ho, ao, oi, owa | /ɔ/ | Ochre; #c78f64 |
| a, ea, ah, aa, au, e | /ɑ/ | Purple; #915793 |
| k, kk, ke, ck, c, cc, ch, lk, qu, que, che, cqu, cch, co, kh | /k/ | Gold; #f3b44c |
| o, oo, ew, ou, ui, u, oe, ue, eu, ough, wo, ieu | /u/ | Dark Green; #008042 |
| a, ai, ea, e, ei, hei, ae, aye, ayo, ey | /ɛə/ | Turquoise; #00ab91 |
| oo, ou, u, o | /ʊ/ | Mouse; #a98d85 |
| m | /m̩/ | Yellow - Orange; #fff105 to #dd492b |
| n | /n̩/ | Yellow - Lavender; #fff105 to #736da4 |
| 's | /əz/ | Yellow - Lilac; #fff105 to #a54e8f |
| l, le, 'll | /l̩/ | Yellow - Bright Blue; #fff105 to #0078aa |
| wh | /ʍ/ | Pale Blue - Aqua; #cfe5d9 to #77c3b2 |
| r, re, 're | /ɹ̩/ | Yellow - Light Orange; #fff105 to #e77a2d |
| u, you, eu, ue | /jɚ/ | Pink - Mouse; #ea90a5 to #ad8b87 |
| o, a, au, oa, oo, ou, ho, ao, oi, owa | /ɔː/ | Brown; #8d4923 |
| sh, ch, t, s, ss, c, sch, sc, che | /ʃ/ | Sky Blue; #00a5cc |
| ch, tch, t, c, che | /tʃ/ | Dark Magenta; #95406a |
| ng, n, ngue, nd | /ŋ/ | Olive; #706916 |
| I, i, y, ie, ye, igh, eye, eigh, is, ais, ei, aye | /aɪ/ | White - Pink; #ffffff to #ea90a5 |
| a, ai, ay, ey, ei, eigh, ea, aigh, et, ae, au, e, ee | /eɪ/ | Ice Blue - Pink; #69a0bd to #e98fa5 |
| u, you, ew, iew, eau, ue, ieu, ewe, yew, hu, eu, eue | /ju/ | Pink - Dark Green; #ea90a5 to #008042 |
| ou, hou, ow, ough | /aʊ/ | Purple - Aqua; #915793 to #77c3b2 |
| oi, oy, aw | /ɔɪ/ | Ochre - Pink; #c78f64 to #ea90a5 |
| oi | /wɑ/ | Aqua - Purple; #77c3b2 to #915793 |
| o | /wʌ/ | Aqua - Pale Yellow; #77c3b2 to #fffac7 |
| j, g, d, dge, ge, gg, dg, dj | /dʒ/ | Green - French Blue; #1e9a44 to #006290 |
| qu, cqu | /kw/ | Gold - Aqua; #f3b44c to #77c3b2 |
| x, xe, cc, xc | /ks/ | Gold - Lime Green; #f3b44c to #85be51 |
| x | /ɡz/ | Gray - Lilac; #90918e to #a54e8f |
| x | /kʃ/ | Gold - Sky Blue; #f3b44c to #00a5cc |
| x | /ɡʒ/ | Gray - French Blue; #90918e to #006290 |
| z, zz | /ts/ | Fuchsia - Lime; #b43a84 to #85be51 |
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